How To Make Vermicelli Bean Thread Noodles

Need to know how to make vermicelli bean thread noodles? Vermicelli bean thread noodles are noodles made from mung bean starch. They're also known as cellophane noodles or glass noodles. These noodles are commonly used in Chinese cooking, particularly in soups and stir-fry dishes. Vermicelli noodles are virtually flavorless, which makes them ideal for soaking up the other flavors in the dishes. Before cooking with vermicelli bean thread noodles, they must be softened in hot water for anywhere between twenty and thirty minutes. If, when added to the bowl of hot water, the noodles float to the surface, weigh them down with a heavy saucer until they become softer. The recipe that we'll discuss below is Veggie Cellophane Noodles, a vegetable and noodle-based stir-fry.

For this recipe, you will need:

1 pound of vermicelli bean thread noodles

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

4 ounces mushrooms, sliced

1 carrot, cut into matchsticks

1 rib celery, cut into matchsticks

1/2 cup bamboo shoots, cut into matchsticks

1 cup snow pea pods

1 red bell pepper, cored and cut into strips

2 green onions, cut into shreds

2 cloves of garlic, pressed

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark sesame oil

1 teaspoon sugar

1/2 teaspoon hot chili paste

Salt to taste

First, prepare the vermicelli noodles. Unlike soup recipes, where you can add the noodles while still hard, for this recipe you will need to soften them. As discussed above, place the noodles in a bowl of hot water and let them soak while you move on to the next step.

Place a wok over high heat. Add the vegetable oil and swirl to coat the wok.

In a bowl, mix together the garlic, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar and chili paste. Mix well to make sure that all the sugar is well-dispersed.

Add the softened noodles to the wok. Toss the mixture to get the vegetables and bean thread noodles thoroughly combined.

Stir in the sauce. Stir-fry until the bean thread noodles are well-coated and heated through. Add salt and serve.

For a protein infusion, you can add eight ounces of cooked ground pork to the wok when you add the sauce. Or, if you're more of a seafood person, you can add eight ounces of peeled, de-veined, cooked shrimp to the wok with the sauce mixture. The shrimp version can be served hot, or you can refrigerate the stir-fry for two hours and serve it cold, garnished with chopped cilantro or sesame seeds.